Seth woke up alone next morning. She was gone. His eyes immetiately went to the nightstand. The razorblade was still there right next to the bloody dishtowel. He guessed that was a good sign.
He quickly made his way up to the main house where Roman as always spent his morning in the kitchen with a cup of coffee.
"Hi Seth, what are you doing here?" Roman asked.
"Looking for Patricia," Seth answered.
"I actually thought you were with her, being all romantic and shit with the picture she sent," Roman said.
"What picture?" Seth asked.
Roman went through his pocket to find his phone.
"I texted her this morning to hear if we were having breakfast together and she wrote back that she was enjoying a beautiful view and wouldn't come home for a while," he said while he found her text. "Here we go."
He turned the phone and showed Seth the picture of the bright sky and the water down below.
"The bridge. The fucking bridge," Seth whispered as he spun around and started running out of the house.
"Where are you going?" Roman shouted after him.
Seth drove as fast as he could. He didn't care if he was stopped and got a ticket. He just needed to get to her fast. He parked the car and ran towards her as he saw her standing there, just leaning in on the railing, looking down at the water below. He knew what kind of dark thoughts that probably were running through her head right now and he wasn't about to let them take over and swallow her completely.
He stopped with a sigh and crossed his arms as he was standing close to her. She got startled when he spoke.
"The other day you said that there was nothing for you back home than three filled graves and an empty one," he said.
She slowly turned around to look at him.
"I'd like for you to keep the last one empty," he said.
Her breathing was fast as she just watched him for a few seconds.
"I want to die," she finally said in a low tone.
"I'm trying so hard not to be angry with you right now. I know you don't deserve that with everything you've gone through but I can't help it. You wanna die, fine, then just fucking jump but I'm not going anywhere. You do it in front of me and let that be my last fucking memory of you," he said angrily.
Her tears started rolling silently as she continued to look at him.
"Talk to me, Patricia. Fucking scream at me if you need to. Punch me, hurt me, do whatever the fuck you want. Just open up and get it out of your system," he said.
Her breathing sped up even further. He was afraid she might start hyperventilating. Just as he was about to reach his hand out to her to make her calm down, she snapped. She launched at him, punched him repeatedly in the chest while screaming.
"I want my parents to be alive! I want my brother to be alive! I'm so fucking lonely! I don't wanna live this shitty life! I don't wanna feel pain constantly! I want to live! I want to be in fucking control again!" She screamed.
He grabbed her wrists, spun her around so her back connected with his chest and held her steady and close.
"So take back the fucking control, starting with walking away from here," he said lowly in her ear.
He let go off her wrists again but kept standing with her leaning up against him. It was her choice now what to do. She stood still for a few seconds and then finally nodded in agreement. He let out a small sigh, placed his arm around her shoulders and guided her back to his car.
"How did you even get up here? I know you didn't walk in your condition," he asked once they were inside his car.
"I took a cab. I figured you brought my purse back home so I went and got it from the house while Roman was still sleeping," she answered.
"You're always a smart girl. I should have figured that part out since you texted him," he said and started the engine.
They sat in the car in the driveway and looked towards the main house where Roman was waiting inside.
"You know you gotta tell him," he said.
"I can't," she said.
"Then I will," he said.
She tensed up and he grabbed her hand and kissed it. His other hand gently landed on her cheek and turned her head in his direction.
"I'm gonna walk you to the guesthouse and then I'm gonna go tell him. You know he has to know. I'll come back to you so keep the door unlocked. I'm gonna call in and ask for a few days off and I'm gonna stay with you," he said.
"You don't have to," she said.
"I know, but I want to," he said.
Five minutes later he walked into the kitchen where Roman was still sitting. It was clear Seth was angry and he couldn't control the anger for long. He kicked the nearest kitchen chair in his rage.
"Wow, Seth, what the hell did my furniture do to you?" Roman asked.
"He fucking hurt her! He fucking hurt my girl!" Seth yelled.
"Who?" Roman asked.
"That guy from the bar the other night," Seth answered.
"Mr loverboy from the dancefloor?" Roman asked.
Seth smashed his fist down into the table, making Roman jump back in shock.
"He fucking raped my girl!" Seth shouted.